At the ripe old age of 36, Roger Federer has again won Wimbledon. Not only that – he won it without losing a single set — a feat last done decades ago by Bjorn Borg.

What’s his secret? He’s happy to reveal it. From his teens, he says he was careful to take care of his body. Fitness, eating right…. Pro tennis puts enormous strain on the body, and it has to be given tender loving care except when you’re on the court, when the start-stop violence rips ligaments, tendons, muscles and everything else.

This year, Federer was careful to ration the events in which he competed, pacing himself and his body. He may well regain his #1 position this year.

But Chris Clarey, who covers tennis for the New York Times, reveals another Federer secret. Federer plays it safe when it is wise to do so, regarding fitness, scheduling, and lifestyle. But on court? He’s a risk-taker.

“I wish we’d see more players and coaches taking chances at net [i.e., rushing to the net, and volleying], because good things happen at net, but you have to spend time up there to feel confident up there,” Federer said. At Wimbledon, Federer did ‘serve and volley’ (serve and then rush to the net) 16% of his service points – in other words one serve in six – and that doesn’t seem like much, but in fact it is more than double the 7% tournament average (i.e. servers rush the net one time out of every 14 serves].

A key point here is: You have to serve and volley a lot, to get good at it. And you might lose points initially as a result. But – take risks, stick to it – and you will win.

Now, I admit – Federer has totally out-of-this-world eye-hand coordination. And this is vital at the net. But his wisdom applies to us in life. Practice taking calculated risks, as General George S. Patton once said, especially when everyone else is playing it safe. Over time, you get better at it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.